In spite of modern alternatives, traditional wooden spokeshaves are still popular tools. Such spokeshaves have an integrally formed body and handles made of wood, which is lightweight, easy to shape to suit the user, and pleasant to look at and use. They all share a common weakness; however, it is difficult to adjust depth of cut.
Normally wooden spokeshave blades are hand forged with upturned tangs that fit into holes pierced in the body of the shave. The tangs are wedged in position, and they are adjusted by tapping the ends of the tangs or the base of the blade, as required to move the blade toward or away from the body to adjust the depth and uniformity in thickness of cut. Various methods have been developed to improve this somewhat haphazard process. However, they are typically not very positive, or require the use of a tool such as a screwdriver or that the blade be completely removed to make even a small adjustment.
Metal body spokeshaves have developed thumbscrew arrangements for sliding a flat blade relative to the surface on which the blade's back surface (the blade surface that intersects the sharpening bevel) beds in order to adjust depth of cut. However, this type of structure will not work for a traditional wooden spokeshave, because the blade of a wooden spokeshave is adjusted by moving it normal to its back surface rather than in the same plane as that surface.